According to reports, six months after resigning as player director, Rory McIlroy is planning a surprise return to the PGA Tour policy board.
According to The Guardian, Webb Simpson, the winner of the US Open, has submitted his resignation and asked McIlroy to succeed him as a player director on the PGA Tour policy board, having served since 2023.
The report states that McIlroy will face a vote on Wednesday regarding his appointment to director positions on the policy board of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Enterprises, a new business initiative funded by Strategic Sports Group (SSG) that aims to provide players with a chance to own equity in the tour.
After being a vocal supporter of the circuit during the alleged feud between LIV Golf and the PGA circuit in November of last year, McIlroy took the unexpected decision to step down from the policy board in order to “focus on his game and his family.”
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, which finances LIV Golf, and the PGA Tour are still in the midst of ongoing negotiations, which has left the men’s professional game fragmented.
Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA Tour, and Rory McIlroy
Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA Tour, and Rory McIlroy
The Northern Irishman’s return to a leadership position may facilitate things more quickly, since he reportedly maintains tight ties with important parties including the SSG-affiliated Fenway Sports Group and the DP World Tour. Additionally, he has always maintained cordial ties with Yasir al-Rumayyan, the governor of PIF.
The second-ranked player in the world has long supported bringing men’s professional golf back together, saying recently, “The game is way better with all of us together.”
He stated, “I actually think there’s a really big disconnect between PIF and LIV,” during the Players Championship earlier this month. “It looks like PIF is over here, and LIV is kind of over here on their own. So, I believe it will be incredibly beneficial if we can move closer to Yasir, PIF, and hopefully complete that investment.
The PGA Tour policy board, which consists of Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Jordan Spieth, and Simpson as player directors, must approve McIroy’s return to the role.
It occurs at the same time as McIlroy, 34, confirmed last week that he intends to play on the PGA Tour for the rest of his career in response to rumors that he would be joining LIV Golf.
This week in New Orleans, McIlroy will be trying to recover from his dismal results at the Masters and RBC Heritage.